Apparatus for cooling or evaporating liquids



(No Model.)

L. R. ALBERGER. APPARATUS FOR COOLING 0R EVAPORATING LIQUIDS.

No. 556,040. Patented Mar. 10, 1896.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS R. ALBERGER, OF NEV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE HENRY R.

. VORTHINGTON, OF ELIZABETH, NEV JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR COOLING OR EVAPORATING LIQUIDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,040, dated March 10, 1896.

Application filed January 5, 1895. Serial No. 533,885. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Louis R. ALBERGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Cooling or Evaporatin g Liquids, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus of that class now used for cooling the water used for condensation in large steam plants where it is desirable to use the water over and over again with as little waste as possible, in order to secure the benefit of condensation without a large natural water supply.

The principle upon which such apparatus operates is that of bringing the water while in a finely-subdivided condition into contact with the air to secure the desired transfer of heat to the air, resulting in the evaporation of a small part of the water and consequent cooling of the latter, a current of air through the apparatus being usually employed, and then finally returning the liquid to the supplyreservoir to be used again for condensation. "While, however, the invention is especially designed for use in connection with condensing systems, it is applicable also to apparatus for cooling or evaporating liquid for many other purposes.

For a full understanding of the invention a detailed description of a construction embodying the same in its preferred form and certain modifications thereof will now be given in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and the features forming the invention will then be specifically pointed out in the claims. In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of an apparatus of the preferred form and connections as applied to cooling the discharge-water from an injector-condenser for reuse in the same. Figs. 2 and 3 are horizontal sections on respectively the lines 2 and 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail plan of a portion of the filling in the preferred form. Figs. 5, 6, '7, and 8 show modified forms of tile which may be used.

Referring to said drawings, the apparatus in the preferred form shown has a hollow "ertical shaft A, forming the wall of the structure, which may be of any suitable polygonal or cylindrical form and of any suitable material, being shown as cylindrical and formed of sheet metal, which will be found a cheap and efficient construction. Below this shaft is a chamber B, receiving the cooled water, and through which the current of air from the fan C passes upward through the shaft. The base of the chamber B is connected by a water-pipe D with the well E, from which the pipe F for the condensing-water runs to the injector condenser G, receiving the steam through the pipe H, and the heated water from the condenser G is delivered by the pump I througlra pipe K to the top of the tower, where it is distributed upon the filling by any suitable means, so as to secure its general distribution at the top of the shaft. This distribution may well be secured by a series of stationary perforated pipes or sprays within the shaft; but the construction shown will be found'simple and more efficient, in which perforated cross-pipes L are suspended from the end of the pipe K, so as to rotate freely thereon, this forming a common Barkers mill.

The shaft A is preferably open at the top for egress of the current of air and water evaporated during the cooling process, and at the base is closed by the grate M of any form suitable to permit the free passage of the air and water in opposite directions and to support the filling.

In order tosecure the best results, it is important that the water should be kept in as thin layers as possible during its passage downward through the shaft, and that these thin sheets of water should be constantly redistributed, so-as to break the water up as far as possible, prevent the forming of rivulets, and effect the same cooling action on all parts of it, and it is desirable also that the air-current when employed should likewise be constantly redistributed.

A very efficient cooling action is secured by using as a filling a series of layers of tubular bodies of suitable material placed side by side and forming spaces through each layer extending longitudinally of the structure that is, vertically in the construction shownthe walls of the next layer extending across the spaces of the preceding layer, so as to redistribute the water and the air as they pass into the successive layers. These tubular bodies are preferably arranged with their walls extending vertically, as in the construction shown, and these bodies may be of any suitable material, such as metal, stone, glass, paper-pulp, fiber, or wood; but preferably I use common earthen tile when the weight is not objectionable, and while glazed tile may be employed the unglazed tile is preferred, as it will be found that such unglazed tile will require less water to thoroughly cover its surface, and it is more efficient on account of its adhesive quality.

The uniform distribution of the water and the desired contact of all parts of it with the air in its passage through the shaft is aided by providing that all or a number of the bodies of each layer shall be so connected by surfaces in contact that particles of water may pass from the outside of one body to another and thus horizontally through a part or the whole of the layer, and this result, with the desired support of the particles of water bet-ween bodies, may be secured with bodies of smooth material by grooves or passages of any suitable form in the surfaces of the bodies; but this result is attained admirably by the use of tile the surfaces of which are such as to permit the passage of water between tile although touching each other. It will be understood, however, that this feature is not essential, and the tile or other bodies maybe so arranged that the passage of water from body to body horizontally of the layer is limited or prevented.

The tubular bodies may be of any suitable form, but preferably are hollow cylindrical or polygonal bodies, and are preferably simply piled on end within the shaft A, so as to fill it in horizontal layers placed one upon the other, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the successive layers of bodies breaking joint with each other, so as to secure with each successive layer a redistribution of the water. It will be understood, however, that the invention includes also a construction in which the successive layers are not piled on each other, but supported from the shaft by grates or similar structures permitting the passage of the water and air; but the piling of the layers on each other is preferred, not only for economy, but for efficiency and durability, as hereinafter explained.

It is desirable that the distribution of the water and the air should be as uniform as possible throughout the shaft, and for this purpose,instead of using common cylindrical tile, as shown in Fig. 5, tile 0f the form shown in Fig. 4; are preferably employed, in which interior cross-bars 1 subdivide the interior space of each tile a into three spaces of substantially the same size as those between three adjacent tile.

Other forms of bodies which may be used and probably will prove preferable to plain cylindrical bodies on account of thelarger surface and better distribution secured are shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, Fig. 8 showing a rectangular tile having projections L on two sides for separating adjacent tile and preserving the proper spacing.

It will be understood that any suitable n u mber of layers may be employed; but for elliciency it is desirable that as large a number as convenient should be used, the number to be employed depending upon the balance of economy between efficiency and cost of construction. The size of the bodies also may be varied but it is important that a large nnmber should be used in each layer. The construction illustrated has been found efficient, in which the filling consists of ten layers of tile, the tile being two feet high with walls an inch thick and with eight inches outside diameter. A very large surface is thus cured in each layer with plain cylindrical. bodies, and this surface is increased largely if bodies of the form shown in Fig. at or l igs. 6 and 7 be used.

The current of air, which is preferaldy used, should flow in a direction opposite to the move ment of the water-that is, from the bottom upward in the vertical construction shown-'- for the best results, so that the coldest air is thus in contact with the coldest water, and vice versa, but it will be understood that contact of the air and water may be otherwise secured. A current of air loi'igitudinally of the structure, however, has a special function in combination with my preferred form of filling, in which the successive layers of bodies are in contact with each other, as it is evident that at the line between two layers of bodies the space for the passage of the air is greatly reduced, and the increased velocity of the air thus caused, together with the re duction of the space for the passage of the water, causes a backing up of the water, producing the spreading of the water at this point over the whole layer, and thus promotes greatly the even distribution of the water before passing into the next layer of bodies. It is found in practice that this construction provides a very efficient apparatus designed either for cooling liquid or for evaporating, and the simplicity and cheapness of manufacture of the apparatus are apparent, the iilling of the shaft, in its preferred form, involving simply the piling of the bodies upon each other in layers breaking joint with each other, while the construction is very durable and cannot get out of order, as there is no securing of any parts of the filling rigidly in place, nor does its effectiveness depend on the main tenanee of strict rigidity or exact levels.

If tile be used, as is preferred when its weight is not objectionable, the cost of the filling is trifling, while the results attained are excellent, and there is practically no limit to the durability of the apparatus, as it does not rot nor is it deteriorated by heat or moisture. It is an important feature, also, that the tile filling does not warp or crack on drying, as is the case in wooden constructions, so that this cooling apparatus may stand dry indefinitely.

lVhat is claimed is 1. An apparatus of the class described having a series of layers, each layer consisting of tubular bodies placed side by side with their walls extending transversely to the layer and forming distributing-surfaces and spaces between them extending through the layer,- the spaces through each layer being opposite the walls of the next layer whereby the subdivision of fluid passing through the spaces is secured, substantially as described.

2. An apparatus of the class described having a series of layers, each layer consisting of tubular bodies placed side by side with their walls extending transversely to the layer and forming distributing-surfaces and spaces between them extending through the layer and with surface contact between the bodies of each layer, the spaces through each layer being opposite the walls of the next layer whereby the subdivision of fluid passing through the spaces is secured, substantially as described.

3. An apparatus of the class described having a series of layers, each layer consisting of tubular bodies having longitudinal crosswalls or projections dividing their interior space, said bodies being placed side by side with their walls extending transversely to the layer, the spaces through each layer bein g opposite the walls of the next layer whereby the subdivision of fluid passing through the spaces is secured, substantially as described.

4. An apparatus of the class described having a filling consisting of a series of layers,

each layer consisting of tubular bodies placed side by side with their walls vertical and forming distributing-surfaces and spaces between them extending through the layer, the layers being piled one upon the other and each layer being arranged to subdivide the sheets of liquid received from the next layer above, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a structure having a series of layers, each layer consisting of tubular bodies placed side by side with their walls extending transversely to the layers and forming distributing-surfaces and spaces between them extending through the layer, the spaces through each layer being opposite the walls of the next layer whereby the subdivision of fluid passing through the spaces is secured, of means for supplying liquid at the top of the structure and a current of air transversely to the layers, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a structure having a filling consisting of a series of layers, each layer consisting of tubular bodies placed side by 1 side with their walls vertical and forming distributing-surfaces and spaces between them extending through the layer, the layers being piled one upon the other and each layer being arranged to subdivide the sheets of liquid received from the next layer above, of means for supplying liquid at the top of the structure and a current of air transversely to the layers, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS R. ALBERGER.

\Vitnesses T. F. KEHOE, O. J. SAVVYER; 

